Comments

Your feedback is important to us!

We invite all our readers to share with us their views and comments about this article.

Disclaimer: Comments submitted by third parties on this site are the sole responsibility of the individual(s) whose content is submitted. The Daily Star accepts no responsibility for the content of comment(s), including, without limitation, any error, omission or inaccuracy therein. Please note that your email address will NOT appear on the site.

Alert: If you are facing problems with posting comments, please note that you must verify your email with Disqus prior to posting a comment. follow this link to make sure your account meets the requirements. (http://bit.ly/vDisqus)

Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk said Friday that the Cabinet's decision to abolish wanted lists – made up of individuals named by informant tip-offs – does not deprive security apparatuses of the power to draw new lists in closer coordination with the judicial authorities.

The Cabinet decision to abolish the current lists, dating back to the period when Lebanon was under Syrian tutelage, was largely aimed at easing the grievances of Sunnis following a spate of arrests in the security clampdown on Tripoli.

The minister explained that most of the scrapped lists, which included around 60,000 names, were inaccurate and unjustified.

Asked how the Cabinet decision would translate on the ground, Saab said he expected a large majority of those featured on the lists to be released after being found innocent, while only those with solid evidence of incrimination will be retained by judicial order.

Security agencies apprehended hundreds of suspects based on the lists, while few arrests were based on judiciary warrants.

The lists first emerged during Syria's tutelage over Lebanon, when security agencies would collect information about individuals via informants.